Sometimes yes, but this is not a normal open-yard grind. The real question is whether the grinder can reach the stump safely without chewing the slab edge or forcing the cut into concrete.
A grinder cuts wood, not concrete. The closer the slab sits to the stump, the less room the cutting wheel has to work through the root flare safely. If the concrete crowds the base tightly, the stump may still be grindable in part, but not always down to a clean edge all the way around.
This is why jobs like this are not just "regular stump grinding with extra care." The concrete changes the geometry of the work. A stump in the middle of a lawn can be attacked from multiple angles. A stump boxed in by patio or walkway edges often cannot.
The right answer depends on clearance, not hope.
If there is room around the stump base, the job may still be straightforward. If the slab touches the flare, the risk rises fast.
Older, cracked slabs behave differently from thick, sound concrete. Fragile edges need more caution.
The grinder needs a workable angle, not just physical access to the property.
Visible roots running under or along the slab edge may limit how complete the grind can be.
If there is enough exposed stump outside the slab line and the grinder can work from a safe angle, the stump can often be ground successfully. The result may be a normal below-grade grind on the open sides and a tighter finish near the concrete edge.
That is usually acceptable when the goal is to remove the visible stump and stop it from being a nuisance. You may not get a perfect full-radius grind if the concrete crowds the base, but the practical result can still be good.
This is often the case with old walkways that clip one side of a stump rather than fully surrounding it.
Sometimes the stump can be ground, but not completely at the slab edge. In those cases, the safe choice is often to remove as much wood as possible without striking concrete and stop short where the slab makes the cut unsafe.
Homeowners sometimes hear that and think the job failed. It did not. It means the concrete set a hard limit on how far the machine could safely go. The visible stump may still be dramatically reduced, but the edge nearest the slab may not be as clean as an open-yard grind.
That is not ideal, but it is better than pretending the slab is not there and damaging it.
If the slab fully traps the stump, or if the only way to reach the flare is by cutting into concrete, part of the slab may need to be cut and removed before grinding. This is common when an old patio was poured around an existing stump or when a walkway edge runs directly into the root flare.
At that point the project is no longer just stump grinding. It becomes a coordination problem between concrete removal and stump work. Sometimes that is still worth doing. Sometimes it changes the economics enough that the homeowner chooses a different finish plan for the area.
The important part is recognizing that early instead of expecting a grinder to solve a concrete layout issue by brute force.
Concrete-adjacent jobs usually take more time because the operator has to slow down, protect the edge, and work within a smaller safe window. That can increase the quote even if the stump itself is not especially large.
It also changes what "complete" means. A normal stump quote may assume a clean grind around the whole base. A concrete-adjacent quote may need to define that some wood near the slab edge could remain if full removal would risk the concrete.
This is one of those jobs where scope language matters as much as price. If it is not spelled out, assumptions fill the gap.
Send two photos if you can. One should show the whole area so the slab layout is clear. The other should show the base of the stump where it meets the concrete. If the slab edge touches the root flare, capture that directly.
Also say what you want the area to become afterward. If the concrete is being replaced anyway, that changes the approach. If the slab must stay intact, that changes it differently.
If the stump is also near a wall or foundation, mention that too. Close-proximity work compounds quickly.
We serve Spokane and surrounding communities. Tell us how close the concrete is, whether the slab has to stay, and what you want the finished area to look like.
Sometimes yes, depending on clearance and safe machine access. The tighter the slab sits to the root flare, the more limited the grind may be.
It can if the job is forced past safe clearance. A careful operator will evaluate whether partial grinding or concrete removal makes more sense first.
Sometimes. If the slab fully traps the stump or blocks access to the root flare, part of the concrete may need to be cut out first.
Often yes. Concrete changes the speed, risk, and scope of the job even when the stump is not especially large.
Send one wide photo of the area and one close photo of where the stump base meets the concrete. That usually answers the first round of scope questions quickly.
Call or submit the form. We serve Spokane and surrounding areas and can tell you whether the concrete changes the approach.